Fable: Chronicles
by Bundo413
Summary: This tale picks up at the end of the battle between the hero and the Dragon Jack of Blades. The story will explain what happens to the Hero and at the same time chronicle the adventures of a next generation of heroes in Albion. I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The hero withdrew his sword from the snout of the dragon. It reared up for a moment, but quickly came crashing back to earth with a tremendous thud. Thinking quickly, the hero retrieved the mask of Jack of Blades from his trophy belt and held it up to the hideous visage of the dragon. It glowed with a crackling energy as it sucked the soul of Jack of Blades from its dragon form. As the transfer was complete, the hero heard a voice in his head. It was Briar Rose

"Wonderful! Now destroy the mask! Whatever you do, you must not wear it!" The hero looked down at the charred and scarred mask that he held and heard another voice, this one darker, more sinister.

"Wear me, and the world will envy your power! Join with me, and together we can rule the cosmos!" It was the voice of temptation, a voice that the Hero had yet to give in to. He had come too far to give in to this darker side, and knew what he had to do. He walked to the edge of a precipice that looked out over a vast pool of lava. He pulled his arm back and launched the mask into the abyss. His eyes traced its path into the roiling inferno below, and he was satisfied when he saw the mask plunge into the molten lava. It was finally over.

The hero sheathed his sword and walked back to the Bronze Gate that separated this hellish realm from the rest of Albion. When he crossed the threshold, he saw an extremely welcome sight.

"Hello, little brother. I'm sure you didn't expect to see me." The hero could only nod at his sister Theresa in response. "You have won a huge victory today, brother. Now I can finally unlock the rest of the power that flows through your veins." Theresa raised her arms in a ritualistic fashion, and as had happened twice before in his life, the hero felt his feet lift off the ground as Theresa's spell consumed him and unlocked the untapped power within his family's blood. This time though, something was different.

"With this power brother, you will be able to travel the cosmos and manipulate the flow of time. You can go back and view your life or go forward and view yourself in the future. Just know, you cannot change anything, only observe. The stars and planets will bend to your will, but the gods know that your heart is pure, for you wield Avo's Tear." Theresa finished her instructions and the effects of her spell began to diminish. The hero looked up at the sky and could feel himself reborn, and it excited him. Phenomenal cosmic power was at his command, and still he knew that he would not and could not be tempted by the forces of evil. He looked down to thank his sister, but found that she had vanished. He reasoned that it would be her final gift to him. He sighed and decided to tap into his newfound abilities.

From the distance, Briar Rose watched the exchange, saw Theresa disappear, and then saw the Hero who had saved Albion twice in recent memory disappear in one of the most brilliant displays of light and magic she had ever witnessed. She smiled briefly and activated her Guild seal to return to the Heroes Guild. Unfortunately, what she didn't see was the figure clad in a dark robe duck through the Bronze Gate…

_To Be Continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

Aidan Harker had been following the Hero for some time now, and had been regularly reporting his progress back to his benefactors. Aidan had no idea how they would respond to this latest bit of news, but he could imagine their fear slowly building. The Hero had been a big enough threat to them when he was a mortal, but now that he seemed to have become an omnipotent being he was going to be more of a problem than ever before. Aidan finished writing in his latest entry before sneaking through the massive Bronze Gate.

On the other side he stood in awe of the maelstrom that stretched before him. There was nothing but molten lava and rock as far as the eye could see. He took a few cautious steps forward, his hand hovering readily over his sword. He had just reached the center of an arena-like rock formation when he heard a sound behind him. He whirled around just in time to see three Summoners materializing. He drew his sword, but the Summoners didn't attack. From behind him again, he heard the telltale whine of a teleportation beam. He turned away from the Summoners and the massive Bronze Gate. He found himself gazing at the most striking woman he had ever seen.

"Your latest report, agent Harker," said his benefactors' messenger icily. Aidan gulped, as he had never been contacted so openly before, and not ever by such an imposing-looking messenger. Her hair was as bright as firelight; an effect he assumed was achieved through some form of cosmetic enchantment. Her armor glistened in the light of the maelstrom, and Harker could make out a rather lethal-looking dagger sheathed in a scabbard. Harker of course noticed that this messenger was quite attractive, with features that somehow managed to be striking yet soft. Aidan imagined that she could be either depending on the situation.

"Your _report_, agent," she said again, and her face took on a menacing glare that told Harker that he had better hurry this along.

"Ah…uhh, yes…of course," he stuttered, fumbling through his haversack in search of his journal. He could sense the messengers impatience, but finally found the tattered, leather bound tome before any harm could come to him. He smiled as he handed the book to her. "Here's everything from the past two years. Why you people wait so long to gather this information I'll never know. You could have prevented the death of Jack of Blades twice now, but you kept delaying. Wasn't he one of your own?" The messenger glared at him again.

"I suggest you stay out of matters that don't concern you. Only those at the rank of Overseer or above care allowed information as to the composition of our governing body. What is your rank again?" Harker lowered his head before muttering, "Prefect, Underclass." "That's right," she sneered, "and as a Prefect, Underclass, you have directly above you a Talon, Mid Class, a Prefect, Overclass, above him and above all of you there is an Overseer. There are ten Overseer's that compose the governing body of the Order of the Virtuous Blade."

"I don't need a lesson in the class system from you," Harker spat angrily, having had enough of this woman's condescension. "You have my report, in which you will find that I no longer have a Hero to follow, so therefore I release myself from this contract and bid you a good day." He was about to turn and leave when he saw the look of awe and confusion on the woman's face.

"You mean to tell me that the Hero is…dead?" Aidan sighed. "Read my report. It's all in there." He turned to leave but the Summoner's moved to block his way out. "Just a moment Harker. Depending on what this report says, we may still have a need for you in our organization. Come, we have much to discuss." Before Harker could protest, he felt the familiar tingle of a teleporter overtake him. Where he was going, he hadn't the slightest idea.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry this one took so long to make it out. Life got in the way. Hope to update every week or so until completion. If you intend to copy this story for any purpose, please give credit where it's due. Thank you**_

The meeting place was the same as it had been for centuries. A temple nestled safely in the remote southern reaches of Albion. Once, worshippers of Avo from the nearby city would flock to sing her praises and receive her blessings. Now, the city lay in ruin, ravaged by time and war, and the temple was used for a rather more nefarious purpose.

Agent Kathryn Granger's boot heels echoed loudly on the temple's stone floor as she made her way to its center, to the heart of the Order's lair. She knew that the Ten wouldn't appreciate the interruption, but once they possessed her report she would be forgiven. Aidan matched her step for step, clutching said report firmly to his chest. Granger had been tempted to gut him in a nearby field, but had decided not to sully her dagger with his blood. Fearlessly, she approached the set of oak doors that barred her entry to the Chamber of the Ten, lifted the large iron knocker, and rapped it against the door three times, the universal signal that an agent stood on the other side. The doors opened and allowed them entrance.

The chamber that stretched out before them was devoid of illumination, save for ten pools of light that centered on each of the Ten where they sat in heated debate.

"Jack has become a liability. Twice we have supported him and twice he has failed us. We cannot risk that a third failure. I propose that we let him fester in that lava pit for the rest of eternity." Eight had always been the most opposed to Jack of Blades, ever since he had failed to claim the life of the Hero at Oakvale all those years ago. Granted, the failure could have been mostly attributed to Maze's treachery, but Eight refused to entertain that idea.

"I grow tired of your protests Eight," sighed Four, "Jack of Blades is necessary if we are to proceed as scheduled. We must get our undercover agents at the Heroes Guild to begin research into ways to bring him back." Four, though in no way a Jack of Blades supporter, recognized his usefulness to the Council. Kathryn agreed with his assessment. She had witnessed firsthand the feats Jack was capable of during the Oakvale raid and knew that his methods would be necessary if the Council was to reach their goals.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this forum is closed," boomed the voice of Three, "Agents Granger and Fletcher have arrived. Let us hope Mr. Fletcher's assignment has not been a complete waste of our time." Several Council members chuckled at that. Nearly everyone on the Council thought that Aidan was a joke, and chose to remind him of that every time he was in their presence. Surprisingly, Kathryn spoke up for him.

"Agent Fletcher's assignment has been an unmitigated success. It is the twelve of you who chose to ignore his intelligence all these years." In a lightning fast movement she snatched the report from Aidan's arms. "This report," she said, hurling the tattered volume at the feet of Twelve, the nearest Councilman, "indicates that The Hero of Albion has left this world to explore places beyond our wildest imaginings. Albion's greatest champion is gone, and who knows if he's ever to return? The time to strike is now. Destroy the Heroes Guild from within and Albion's defenses will crumble. Let the people of Albion scream his name, as they lie bleeding in the streets. They will never be heard." As Kathryn finished speaking, One stood from her throne and cleared her throat. All sound and movement in the room stopped. It had been nearly a century since One had addressed the Council.

"Agent Granger's analysis, though passionate and well spoken, is essentially flawed," she rasped. Clearing her throat again, she continued, "Granted, decimation of Albion is one of our long term goals, there are more immediate concerns. The Heroes Guild will be the first to fall, but our only sources there are masquerading as librarians. We need to look to the young, the apprentices, to fill out our battle roster. This will be Agent Granger's task." One turned her gaze to the fiery young agent. "Infiltrate the Heroes Guild. Turn as many of the apprentices there to our cause as you can. Make them see the power of our God. Tell them that we will wipe Avo and Skorm and their worshippers from this Earth and bring truth to those we leave alive." Kathryn smiled wickedly at One and nodded in compliance. She turned on her heel, signaling for Aidan to follow her. When she reached the chamber door, One called out again.

"Kathryn?" Agent Granger shuddered at the use of her given name but turned back to face the Council. "Yes?"

"Do your job well and I promise that the coming battles will be glorious." Though Kathryn couldn't tell in the chamber's dim light, she could feel the heat and radiance of One's eyes as she spoke. Kathryn closed her eyes and basked in it, letting it overtake her. When she could no longer feel it, she exhaled, turned away, and exited the chamber.


End file.
